


Strike True

by imaginary_golux



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Blindfolds, F/M, Sparring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:41:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22778101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux
Summary: Raoul finds Buri, Thayet, Kel, and Ilane practicing fighting blind.Beta by my Best Beloved, Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw.
Relationships: Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak/Buriram Tourakom
Comments: 7
Kudos: 75
Collections: February Ficlet Challenge 2020





	Strike True

Raoul can hear the clacking of wooden weapons well before he gets to the training salle, but he’s not expecting what he sees when he opens the door: Buri, blindfolded, wielding a quarterstaff against Kel and Thayet and Ilane of Mindelan, who all have blunted glaives. Buri is holding her own pretty well, whipping around to catch the glaives before they can hit her armor.

Raoul’s honestly just glad she’s wearing armor. He pauses just inside the doorway and leans against the wall, watching with some odd combination of genuine awe and mild horror. The glaives are blunted and the women wielding them are both skilled and careful, but three-on-one is dangerous even if everyone involved can _see_.

Buri’s holding her own, though, fast as a striking snake and twice as accurate. She’s _listening_ for the sound of the glaives moving through the air, Raoul realizes - that, and the subtle sounds of people moving, their breath, the gentle scuffs of their feet on the floor.

Thayet says, “ _Hut_!” and all the women ground their weapons. Buri reaches up to pull the blindfold off, grinning broadly.

“Who’s next?” she says, and then spots Raoul, and her grin grows wicked. “Want a go, Raoul?”

“I’m much too large a target,” Raoul says drily.

Lady Ilane covers her mouth to hide a smile. Thayet doesn’t bother. Kel looks very slightly amused behind her blank public mask.

Buri shrugs and tosses the blindfold to Ilane, and comes over to lean against the wall next to Raoul while Ilane puts on some proper padding. “Maybe I’ll just put it on you tonight, then,” she says, quietly enough that the other women probably can’t hear.

Raoul can feel his ears heating. “As long as there are no quarterstaffs involved,” he says, smiling down at her, and Buri grins back, looks him up and down, and raises an eyebrow meaningfully. Raoul covers his face with one hand. “Dreadful woman,” he mumbles.

“Yep,” Buri says, and pats him on the arm, and heads back into the center of the room to pick up a glaive. Raoul finds a chair and settles in to watch. Learning, after all, is never wasted.

**Author's Note:**

> For the FFC prompt "Using a sense other than sight."


End file.
